New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-29
MISS ALMA BAYLE.
AN ANGLO-AMERICAN STORY.

MISS BAYLE's ROMANCE. story OF TODAY. leisure
Hour seres.l 1Gmo.. PIP AL Henry Holt & Co.
There is frequent SUE geston in this story OF Mr.
Vincent Crummes's real pump and two washing
tubs. with play written up to them to illustrate
the unparalleled resources Of the establishment.
humber of real personagcs are exhibited some
under their own names some in transparent dis
guises and the piquaucy of this show Is evidently
relied upon for a large share OF the effect Yet or
most of these characters ii must be said as OF the
lannon's properties Of the Portsmouth theatre, that
"they come in admirably" even hen they have
no visible connection with the unroling Of the mar
rative. Some readers will be pleased at their own
acuteness in recognizing well-known Journalists
I'm the masquerade OF Mr. Atlas Mr..
King Edwards" and Mr.. La Salle," aud
others will tax their ingenuity 10 find
the originals Of Ezra L. Bayle and his daughter
Alma; while remarks which would sound common
in the mouth of ordinary creature OF Notion
seem almost memorable when they are attributed
TO the Prince of Wales. There is no plot and the
construction of the story is exceedingly loose; yet
Miss Bayle's Romance" IS entertaining The
Chicago railway speculatOr with his wife and
daughter are presented in various experiences OF
tour of Europe, until Alma marries the of the
Duke of Windsor with all the eclat which her
fathers millions can purchase We meet with our
compatrots in many interesting scenes and diverse
company The life at Monte Carlo and elsewhere
ON the Riviera is described not only with vlvacity
but with an uncommon truthfulness and modera-
ton and the English chapters are all fresh and
striking. The author makes 1T plain that he has
been an admirug reader of the novels of Lord Bea-
consfield and, consciously or not he has
formed his method upon that gaudy model
He has none of the epigrammatic smartness OF his
exemplar but he is never dull: and while he Is Ger
tainly not remarkable for any wide knowledge OF
men and affairs, his acquaintance with superficial
characteristics of foreign society Is quite close
enough for his present purpose. The weakest part
of the book is the Baye family. They are drawn
In the spirit of carcature and yet apparently with
no intention of satire Ezra Baye is the least bad
of the family. He might even be accepted as por-
trait of a certain class of millionares who have
been too busy making money to learn any OF the
refnements of life; but 1t Is unusual to fluid an
American in his position so Ignorant OF the pro-
prietes of speech and behavior and 80 little cap
able of adapting himself TO a new environment. The
rustcity of his wife is still more exceptional,
Women like Mrs. Bayle, in whom conscious igno-
rance and vulgarity struggle with painful desire
to be genteel, familiar to us; even
the deliberately American dialect Of this good
lady is not greatly exaggerated; but although not
impossible she is an extreme casej we should not
look her In the society OF SnlCaRO, sIo Is
inconceivabe as guest at the country house of an
English duke. Miss Alma Bayle Is by far the most
Objectionable of the family. Her speech and her
manners are equally dreadful. and the fascination
which her unconventional behavior is said 10 cxer-
else over the nobility and gentry Of the old world
IS not apparent to the reader OF her adventures
She not amusing she Is not smart she Is not in-
dependent her mind is little and uniformed; her
affections are by no means ardent; she Is too dull
to be ambitious; she is simply common She has
none OF the qualities, except fair face. for which
American girls supposed to be admired abroad
and for which they are undoubtedly admired at
home. We are assured that Lord Plowden Elton
does not marry her for money and yet
one is at loss to imagine any other
reason why he should ally himself with
such q profoundly unnteresting person. In real
life the daughters of newly enriched Americans are
almost always Of higher social type than their
parents They have had early advantages, they
have met good company, they have been educated,
and with the quickness and suppIeness which dis
tinguish the sex in country, they learn to move
with perfect ease and grace in any sphere to which